Spelt Ziti Rigati, Organic, 100% Whole Grain

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Quick Overview

Spelt Ziti pasta is a small tube, rigati means it has ridges. The 12th century healer St. Hildegard wrote, "Spelt is the best of grains. It produces a strong body and healthy blood for those who eat it and it makes the spirit of man light and cheerful." Spelt's highly water soluble gluten is easy to digest and it is often enjoyed by those sensitive to modern wheat. Rich in healthy fiber, thiamin B1, and magnesium. It provides protein, iron, niacin B3, and zinc. Packaged in a reclosable, recycled and recyclable box with a tasty recipe and its photo on the back.

Eden Organic Spelt Ziti Rigati is small batch hand crafted at the Eden Organic Pasta Company, a Detroit landmark using traditional pasta making techniques and vintage Italian equipment since 1923, and the first food production facility in North America to be third party certified organic. Whole grain spelt flour is prepared in at our organic, AIB rated Superior, Clinton, Michigan mill. The freshly milled spelt flour is blended with purified water. Slow thorough kneading prepares the dough. Using a traditional screw press the dough is extruded through an artisan brass ziti rigati die, cut into individual pieces and spread on drying racks. The pasta goes through an initial hot air/steam dryer to reduce moisture slowly and the final drying room where it spends about 16 hours. When ideal it's packed. Each step helps to create pasta of exceptional flavor, texture and character. The pasta is packaged in a reclosable box, with a delicious recipe and photo from Eden's kitchen printed on the back.

All Eden Organic Pasta is packaged in boxes made from recycled and recyclable paperboard, one of the most environmentally friendly packages available. According to the 100 percent Recycled Paperboard Alliance (RPA100.com), "Fourteen trees are saved for each ton of paperboard converted to 100 percent recycled paperboard. Trees are critical to the sequestration of CO2 (a greenhouse gas) in North America. For each ton of paperboard converted to 100 percent recycled paperboard, an equal amount of recovered fiber has been diverted from municipal landfills. Production of 100 percent recycled paperboard uses 50 percent less energy compared to virgin grades of paperboard, thus significantly reducing the greenhouse gases released into the environment."

Spelt Triticum spelta is an ancient and distant relative of modern wheat grown about 9,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent area around Iraq, Iran, Jordan and northern Greece. In Italy spelt is known as 'farro, farricello, Zea and siligo' and in Germany as 'dinkle'. This ancient grain was the staple bread wheat of Europe and the Middle East until it was displaced by modern hybrid wheat. In Europe spelt is still a major food crop especially in Germany, Switzerland, and the Ardens region of Belgium. This ancient grain has not been tampered with by plant breeders and is non-hybridized. Spelt has a strong hull that stubbornly clings to the grain and is difficult to clean with regular thrashing machines. The hull, however, is a great asset protecting the grain from insects and pollutants while helping to retain nutrients, moisture, and freshness during storage. Spelt requires very little nitrogen in the soil to grow well and naturally tends to choke out weeds. A perfect crop for organic agriculture.

The twelfth century healer St. Hildegard von Bingen wrote this about spelt, "Spelt is the best of grains. It is rich and nourishing and milder than other grains. It produces a strong body and healthy blood for those who eat it and it makes the spirit of man light and cheerful." She believed that spelt was "the easiest to digest of all grain". Numerous studies in Europe have now confirmed what St. Hildegard believed, spelt is easier to digest than common wheat.

Spelt is allergy friendly. Although it does contain gluten it is different from modern wheat, highly water soluble making it easier to digest. Research has shown that like kamut, another ancient non hybridized wheat, spelt can be an excellent substitute for most people with wheat allergies.

Whole grain is the heart of a healthy diet providing the broadest spectrum of nutrients in the proportions that we need for good health and well being. Commercial pasta is made from highly refined chemically treated flour, processed in minutes through Teflon dies and ultra high heat or microwave drying, resulting in inferior flavor, diminished nutrition, poor cooking quality, and questionable value.

Scientists at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University say, "Whole grains help regulate blood sugar by slowing down the conversion of complex carbohydrates into sugar. In fact, low-glycemic index foods such as whole grains reduce hunger and can help to control weight." Scientists at the Agriculture Research Service completed a study of more than 2,000 people concluding, "at least three or more servings of whole grain foods everyday could reduce the chances of developing metabolic syndrome - a condition marked by a combination of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, poor blood sugar control, low HDL 'good' cholesterol and high blood fats."

According to the FDA, "Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers." They also state, "Low fat diets rich in grain products, fruits, and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors." Eden Organic Spelt Ziti Rigati is made with 100 percent whole grain, is low in fat and saturated fat, cholesterol free, and rich in dietary fiber. Furthermore, "Diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of hypertension or high blood pressure, a disease associated with many factors." Eden Organic Spelt Ziti Rigati is very low in sodium and made without salt. It is an excellent source of thiamin (vitamin B1) and magnesium; a good source of protein, carbohydrate, iron, niacin (vitamin B3), phosphorus, and zinc.

When you bite into Eden Organic Spelt Ziti Rigati the flavor and character of the of the whole grain is evident. Unlike commercial pasta it holds its texture without becoming mushy and does not cause sleep inducing carbohydrate overload. Eden Organic Spelt Ziti Rigati are made from fresh, unbleached, non-enriched flour. It doesn't need to be enriched because the grain has not been stripped of its nutrients. Eden Organic Pasta enhances energy, balance, clarity, and well being.

Eden Organic Spelt Ziti Rigati is a fun to eat pasta. With its narrow tube shape and outside ridges it makes an excellent choice for casseroles and pasta salad, or served with thick, chunky marinara or rich creamy sauces. Please try with Whole Tomatoes and Mushrooms in our recipe section.